Live My Life
by not-a-hime-just-17
Summary: something bad happened to her. she can't tell anyone. but someone knows.
1. Bad Stuff

I don't know what to do or where to go. I don't know what happened or how. I need help, but not from _him._ No. He'll just go crazy. I can't afford that. I can't tell anyone, not at all.

* * *

**Brittany**

It started when I wanted to give my mom a surprise visit. Usually I just call when I want to come over, but today is special. It's her birthday! Unfortunately, my surprise visits never come out as a surprise for my mom because she, like other Shifters in my world, has had her senses uncannily strenghthened. Up to the strength of a wolf's senses; the Shifters here in Tarrant, Washington shift into wolves. But since I'm the only human guardian that I know of, it's hard to stage surprises. For me, at least. All of my friends and my [**i dont know what to call it so y'all would understand, but i'll say**] boyfriend can just pop up out of nowhere and scare the hell out of me. They take pictures of my pissed off face, they show me the pictures, and then I laugh with them.

That's not the point. The point is, I should have been careful in a dark alleyway, I should have kept out of sight whenever drunk men stumbled into the tiny street, and I shouldn't have gone at night. But I had no choice. I severly didn't want to go during night, but I put the surprise party first. I had just parked my car and locked it when a small group of drunk men came out of a bar, laughing stupidly. there was no place to slip inside so I could hide, so my only choice was to get inside my car. I had barely unlocked the door when I heard them go quiet. Hell, I was scared stiff. But I was confident that I could handle myself. The only thought on my mind was to get in the car, lock it, and try to stay unseen. I was mentally yelling to myself, **Get into the damn car!** But I couldn't. I was frozen in place, hoping that I wouldn't be seen. This is only because ever since Connor and I have been ambushed by a crazy scientist, his son, and their helpers, I was starting to realize what non-Shifters [namely the normal humans] can do if they try really hard, just like me [**just read the books and that will explain everything...**]. The only problem was, I was seen. "Oh hell no!" I whispered to myself. I could hear the guys talking in whispers. They obviously thought that I couldn't hear them. Sure they were far off, but having a Shifter mom, friends, and boyfriend tended to make a human girl [me]notice small sounds and little details. The drunk men probably decided to surround me and my car. Hearing them was as easy as pie. I mean, when you get drunk, what else do you become that you haven't given any thought of? You become stupid. And that's exactly what they were. Stupid.

One of the idiots called out to me, "Hey, what's up, sugar? Wanna come hang out with us?" I call politely back, "No, thanks, I don't want to. I'm busy right now." I should've gotten into the car as soon as I said that. But no, I just had to start walking towards my mom's place. I have a lot of regrets, and that was one of them. Another drunken idiot one sneered, "Well, fellas, we're gonna have to make her respect us." At that moment I heard running footsteps behind me. I didn't go any faster because I hoped to judge my distance and timing correctly to give him one of my famous roundhouse kicks. The footsteps went quiet all of a sudden; the guy must have seen how stiff my body was. Well, I guess I showed him. Big mistake; again another one of my regrets. The man behind me threw his arms around my chest and waist and tried to drag me back. I tried to kick him by striking backwards with my legs into his knees, and hopefully, his legs. Fail. I am one of the few best kickers in Wolford and I can't kick backwards? As soon as I get home [and back to Connor]I have to learn to kick backwards. The guy dragged me back with a yell of triumph, causing his friends to run forward. They managed to put a blindfold over my mouth to prevent me from screaming for help, and they tied my hands and legs to prevent me from hitting or kicking them. Those men made me so mad that I couldn't move, out of waiting for them to let me go. I wish I could kick their butts right now. The tall guy [the leader, I think] strode over to me, shoved his hands up my shirt, and squeezed my breasts. I gritted my teeth as he lifted my shirt and kissed them; then he said in my ear, "Well, now, don't you have a swell pair of big, nice boobs, eh?" Everyone laughed and came forward to touch or kiss my breasts. A short guy pretended to suckle, and licked my breasts. Another guy planted big, slobbery kisses all over my chest. I cried out as the first one dragged me to a room inside an old building. He partially removed my shirt and jeans and clumsily threw me onto the old, hard bed. Then... ugghh, he took off his pants and lay down on top of me. I cried out as he grabbed my breasts and squeezed them hard. The worst part came. He thrust inside me, hard, and kept himself in as he kissed and licked my breasts.

The pain... it was just too hard and painful to believe... that I was easy enough to be "caught" by these drunken men. I swear, if I had not underestimated them, I would have kicked them so hard they would not remember anything at all.

He thrust in and out, pushing in deeper and deeper, until my throat was worn out from my cries and whimpers. He moaned as he continued to feel my chest and thrust inside me. Then my arms and legs were tied to the bedposts, so I couldn't move, and he felt all over me. My back, my thighs, my rear, my chest, my hips, my waist. He groaned when he cupped my breasts tightly and pushed deeper in me. It hurt when he pushed and thrust... it hurt so much that I think I was beginning to break down... and let go, hoping that it would end.

* * *

Ughh... my head was throbbing so _hard, _and the pain was grinding down there. Thank God they put my clothes back on me, or else I would've died of embarrassment. I noticed that a small sharp corner was poking my cheek, making my head throb even more. It was a note, of all things. Who knew that drunk rapists could leave notes? These must've been smartasses. Wise guys. The note read,

_You say a word to the police, you will never say another word again._

_ We're gonna come back time after time, to make sure you're quiet._

My mind froze at the words "come back time after time". That scared me, the thought of them-especially _him_- coming back. The note and my thoughts were torture enough, let alone it actually happening again. The death threat made me snort. I've been threatened with death before. Wait, that was when Connor was with me when Bio-Chrome managed to capture us. Connor and I fell into the nightly routine of the Statics [what we Shifters call humans]. Had we stayed alert and cautious, we wouldn't have been caught.

I wanted to give myself up to Connor, so I was keeping it [**y'all know what 'it' is, right? i hope so :P**]until he and I decided the right time to do it. [**in the shifter world, that wasn't until the couples said their vows or something, you know, like marriage, i swear**]

But now? When these ruthless men stole it from me? I can't take it. I run to the car and start it up. Fighting back tears, I drive until I reach the edge of the forest where it begins. I run blindly -tree branches and twigs whipping my face and arms- until I reach it.

My -_the_- only place in the forest where I can calm down and just let my worries go.

The waterfall and its caves.


	2. Speak

**Brittany**

The last time I spoke to anybody was Connor. He was understanding about me throwing a surprise party for my mom [**bella would never do this! still, they have some sharing qualities...**]. But he absolutely will_ **not** _appreciate it if anyone tried to harm me. If the person _did_ get to harm me, Connor would just go to him, talk, 97-3 chance of killing him, and claim that a wild animal killed him. Yes, I know it isn't totally reasonable, but what else would he do if his soul mate was physically threatened and actually got hurt?

Honestly, Connor and I care about each other a lot, but sometimes Connor can be a worry-wort. Really, I _know_ how to handle myself in many situations [I'm still learning a bit more], but BioChrome, well, we don't have to worry about anymore. After what happened at their base near the edge of the forest a few months ago, no surviving person who worked there would ever try to gain advantage of us again.

Now, with what happened to me, I'm not sure if Connor would ever be himself again if he managed to kill them. I've learned that killing someone brings this sort of a weird feeling in your heart; trust me, it happened when I had to kill Mason to avoid Connor getting serious injuries. Even if Connor swears that he's still himself, that still won't take away the pain of what happened to me. It'll still stay there. It'll kill him if he realizes he can't protect me anymore. I'm not letting my soul mate waste away while convinced that he can't protect me. This makes it even more important that I don't tell anyone. [**yooo i just realized that the soul mate thing in dark guardians is a hell of a lot like the imprint thing in twilight! wow... can't believe i never realized this before! ^_^**]

At the pool in the waterfall's biggest cave, I undressed and dunked myself into the freezing water. I forced myself to get 'cleansed' as good as possible to erase the sent of them. I don't want any of my friends finding out what happened to me. Being a human guardian, I have to make sure to try to get everything away as possible, such as a bad scent. I know that Lindsay is allergic to heather [**not in the books people**], so whenever I brush past a single heather flower, I have to dip in freezing cold water and wash my clothes with fruity-smelling soap. That's the only kind we have. Cold water is best for erasing any scent you don't want. [**not true! at least, i don't think so...**] Wondering if I'll catch a cold? Simple! I just snuggle up with Connor. Shifters generate a lot of body heat. It's how he kept me warm in that freezing lab room Dr. Keane and Mason kept us in.

When I rose out of the pool, the cave seemed even more cold. Blue goosebumps shot up all over my body. I shivered and ran to get a couple of towels kept in some crates. In caves and in little niches and crevices all over the forest, we store any supplies we think are needed in case it's too dark to see, we're really tired, we need to rest, blah blah blah. All the reasons why these special places are stuffed with food, clothing, towels, blankets, bedding, and any other necessities. I wrapped some of the heavier towels around me and began furiously drying my hair. An hour later, my hair is finally dry. My arms were tired but I forced to lift a brush to my hair to brush out all the knots. I dress, adding a scarf and a sweater that smells faintly like Kayla [ a nice, warm, biscuit-y buttery smell], then snuggle up inside a blanket with the towels as pillows. Breathing deeply, I calmed myself to sleep. Not even sleep can derive me of reality.

_Running down a dark alleyway... footsteps pounding along behind me... arms grabbing me back... drugs making me drowsy... whipping around to find him there... forcing me to the ground, forcing my jeans down and my shirt up... thrusting inside me, grabbing my breasts... me screaming my pain and for help... nothing but darkness and confusion..._

I shot up screaming my lungs out. Why? Because of that nightmare, and because someone was leaning over me. "Brittany? Is that you? What are you doing here? You do realize you're driving Connor nuts, right?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. "God, Kayla, you scared me. Don't do that again!" Kayla gave me a big warm hug. "I won't." I shakily got up and brushed myself off. It seems that I rolled onto the ground when I had that nightmare. "Yes, I know that Connor's going to be mad at me, but what can I do? I don't want to give an allergic reaction to Lindsay," I added. I had to lie. I hated doing it, but I had no choice. When I started to walk, I winced.

"Ow!" "What happened?" "Think I sprained my knee when I climbed out the pool, must've been that rock I bumped hard against." "Here, take this cloth bandage and wrap it around tight. Takes away the pain." "Thanks, it works."

Kayla gave no response this time. She took hold of my arm while we walked [me limping] to the edge of the cave. Before going out she turned to me, a strange glint in her large eyes, and said to me in a low voice, "Beware, Brittany, there is trouble ahead if you can't find it in your heart to tell him. You _must_ find a way to let it go and speak out, or your relationship will slowly be driven apart. Your heart and your mind know it, but you yourself and your body don't want to believe that it happened to you. You _must_ tell him , you _must_!"

I took a step back, frightened. Did she know what happened? Was she telling me that unless I took my chances and told him soon, our relationship will slowly be crushed? I shivered, and Kayla should her head in confusion. "What happened? Why are you over there, and why aren't we at the edge of the cave yet?" I didn't answer, just trudged to the front of the cave, mulling over what she said.

"I got her, everyone," Kayla softly called out. A few seconds later, some of my friends and Connor came out of the forest. He immediately crushed me to him and buried his face in my hair. "Where _were_ you?" he demanded. I flinched; I wanted his comfort, not his anger. I could feel tears build up in my eyes, so I squeezed them shut and tried not to let a sob escape my throat.

I thought I heard someone- Lindsay?- smack the back of Connor's head.  
"What did you do that for? Can't you see I'm hugging my girlfriend after not seeing her for 4 hours?"  
"Can't _you_ see that you made her upset after you practically yelled at her, 'where were you?'" Lindsay copied Connor in a higher, whinier voice perfectly. "Don't be so blind to her feelings just because she was gone for a few hours, idiot!" she continued while Rafe was grinning.  
Connor muttered something incomprehensible and I stifled a slight giggle. Giving his full attention back to me, he swung me up over his shoulder and started running towards our village. I was caught up in surprise; I smacked his back with my palm and exclaimed, "Put me down! Can't you carry me the other way?"  
He called back, an obvious grin in his answer,"Then that means that you'll be sideways if I carry you like I usually do. Makes it more liable for me to accidentally bump your head or something."  
I gritted my teeth and decided to take a nap for as long as Connor ran.

**hours later, when Brittany wakes up**

"Wake up, sleepyhead, we're home," an amused voice whispered in my ear. "Leave her alone," Kayla's voice responded.

Kayla. Was what she said true? Was I going to ruin my relationship forever, just because I didn't speak up?

* * *

**see, guys, this is why i labeled this chapter Speak, like the book. brittany has to learn to listen to her heart and tell connor what happened. who knows [except me LOL]? will she save her relationship with connor or suffer the consequences of procrastinating? will she save other shifters' relationships by showing that it isn't hard to speak up?**

**the answers to these questions will be revealed in the later chaps, guys! if you wanna know a little something... next chap will have some emotional stuff going on, not just dear ol' brittany, but kayla, when she finds something about her parents that no one knew, not even her parents themselves! the elders and lucas help her to find out what this thing is, but in the meantime both gals will face some choices... you guyz will be really surprised with them cuz you're not gonnna expect them to be those usual stuff, like choosing between love or friendship or the normal shit, nope! SO REVIEW. WHEN I POST THE NEXT CHAP I WANNA SEE HOW MANY OF U WERE SURPRISED, OK? **

**sayonara, peoples! till next chap!**


	3. Remembrance

**Kayla**

I have no idea what happened to me after I found Brittany in our pack's special cave. It was strange, really, because all I remember is finding Brittany, helping to bind up her knee and walking her outside, and then, all of a sudden, blanking out. It had scared me, as if some sort of being or spirit took control in those minutes. I planned to ask Brittany as soon as I can have enough free time on my hands. It might be a bad idea, seeing as how she is a little jumpier than usual and sticking close [literally] to Connor whenever she can, but I must try. Maybe I can ask the Elders, or Lucas, or any of my parents' old friends if my mother or father had this happen to them...

Frowning slightly, I started to head towards the Library but became startled when a pair of long, muscular arms snaked around my waist. "Where are you going? And why aren't I invited to come along with you?" Lucas said softly, nuzzling my neck. I laughed; "I'm going to the Library to look up something, and how come all of a sudden you are seeming to need a formal invitation to go with me?" Lucas laughed as well and released me, turning me around until I faced him. "Well, it's because I can't bear to see you leave, even for a minute," he drawled. Shaking my head, I ran until I was at the doors of the Library. Lucas had followed me, and was yelling something "Tag!" I called back, "Too bad, I'm not playing tag!" he just smiled and ran off. Then I blacked out again.

_this time, it's different... i can see myself in the woods, being chased by wild, weird-looking animals... me blacking out again... my dead body on the ground... a solitary dark brown coffin._

Holy crap. When will this happen, if it does? And _weird-looking _animals? What the hell is going on in my mind? Starting to panic slightly, I rushed inside the Library and collapsed into a chair. I was trembling. _Trembling._ I never tremble, except for that time when my parents were killed and when I was caught by BioChrome and that fake friend Mason. _Get yourself together, Kayla, _I ordered myself. _You got some research to do._ I squared up my shoulders and leafed through the big index book on the table next to me. "Visions... visions... no? Okay, then, future seeing? Seeing the future?... damn this shit!" I muttered to myself, trying to find any reference at all. I gave up and quietly slammed the book shut. Fortunately my favorite librarian was here; she liked me a lot and never got me in trouble. She often says that I look like her sister. I smiled at her and started going through a random book on the chair next to me. Pretty soon I got interested in it. The next second I was flipping through the chapters in excitement. " 'How to Tell if You're Going Crazy from Future-seeing'? No, try something else. 'How to Identify What You're Seeing in the Future: Beginners in Future-sight' That sounds informative!" I exclaimed. A bunch of people shushed me. "Sorry!" I whispered, grinning. I sat down in the softest chair I could find and began to read through the chapter.

_No one knows who the first person to have this gift, or curse as some may put it, was. Perhaps the gypsies were the first to have this talent.  
_That's strange, my mom's 4 times great-grandparents were gypsies. Maybe... never mind, shaking my head. _Continue reading, girl._

_Most of the very few who have it are seen as witches and devils, in some cases. These people are constantly persecuted, and 90% of them die before the third year they have future-sight._

Shit, _90%_ die before the third year? I'm in for it...

_However, there has been no account of a Shifter seer for hundreds of years. All future-sight seers so far have been human. The possibilities of a Shifter seer are 1 in 10 billion. The genes of a Shifter are not human, so therefore they cannot have the ability to see._

Whatever. There _is_ a seer in the Shifter world, and_ I'm _the only one now. "I already have enough responsibility as part of the pack," I grumbled. "No fair!"

_As in all cases, seers lose consciousness [or in present preferable terms, black out], see the vision of the future or an event happening elsewhere in the present, then wake up not knowing what happened. The seer can remember what she/he saw, but mostly cannot understand it until the event actually happens. Although they sometime begin to slightly understand, it is usually too late to do much, if possible. People learn of the seers who survived, and then the seers vanish a few days later. That is the tragic fate of the roughly 100 seers in the past two thousand years.  
If a Shifter does appear to have these "symptoms", hope is not all gone. Extreme power can come into the hands of the seer, but it depends if the seer abuses her powers. In all our years as protecting our identity as Shifters protecting humans from mad scientists _**[roflmfao! decided to kick that in]**_, one's power comes from the ability to see with her mind and heart. _

**_Author's Note: _**_Seers are vulnerable to attack once they black out to a vision. Therefore it is absolutely **mandatory** for someone to go with them where ever they go, preferably a loved one. _

I smiled. Of course Lucas would go anywhere with me.

_The Elders have known about a seer as soon as she/he appears, Shifter or human. They must be wise enough to understand the responsibility/burden a Shifter seer carries, and protect her from the wrong people. Abusers of power have no right to the power of future-sight. It is the power that chooses who is to behold._

Yikes. Power-hungry-and-abuser idiots, no way in hell. Loved ones, the Elders, and close friends, yep, of course! Oh wait... _her? she? _What does that mean? Did the person who wrote this knew that there would be a Shifter seer soon? Especially a girl? And why would the Elders know about me?

_The Elders were inscribed with a power to know certain things, such as who a Shifter will declare her/his mate._

Oh. Well, that sucks. Now Elder Wilde will probably tell Lucas, Lucas will probably tell the others, and I don't want to know what my friends will think of me. Weird? Jealous because the power chose me? Supportive and still stay my very close friends? Think I'm conceited when I try to hide it?

When life gives you lemons as some of of seeing power, be glad it's not the reality version of hell. Because these lemons will taste very sour once I get to the core.

All of a sudden I noticed some fine writing at the bottom of the page. I squinted my eyes and shifted in the chair to get more light.

_Priori Shefetha Encanta Medure._

_Hyewa Vortai Amorje Liyves. _

What the hell is that language, and what does it mean? **[roflmfaoo i just made up some random words, that's all. try sounding it out!] **Then, under the little phrase:

_Power comes to those who_

_are truly loved and are able to see one's heart._

_Be warned, curses or gifts, this ancient saying of the language of our people will proclaim the seer and her power._

I felt a shiver of cold, icy wind flow through my body, running along my veins with my blood. Finally flowing right into my heart. Then I felt a hand of fierce, burning fire follow through. The coolness, calm and rage of water. And finally, the ancient power and strength of the Earth itself, coming in through warm yet rough channels.

I could feel everything that absorbed into my body and shivered. I needed and wanted to go back to my bed to sleep.

* * *

**HIIII THERE! ITS MEEE! HOW WAS IT? WAS IT GOOD? IT BETTER BE GOOD! now review. CHAPTER 4 IS NEXTTTT!**


	4. Something Old, Something New

**Lindsey**

I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before. I mean, it's just so beautiful and small and delicate and adorable! I want it so badly but the precious thing costs a lot. So I wait and work hard, wait and work hard, wait and work hard some more.

Waiting to see if someone else will buy it. Working hard to earn enough possible money for it. I'm positive that it will cause us no harm. It's defenseless and harmless. What can it do to endanger us? The next time I go to the store I'm sure it'll be happy, because it likes me. A lot. We've become well acquainted with each other, and it'll be awesome if I can buy it and bring it to Wolford.

**... a few days, overnight hours, extra pay, and brain-destroying patience later...**

YES! YES! I've earned enough to buy it! "Rafe, can you drive me to the store again? This time I'm taking something back with me." "Sure. Hold on a sec, and I'll be right there." I was too excited to wait. Finally, Rafe came out and tossed me the other helmet. "Get on." I jammed the helmet on my head, grinning broadly all the while, and got on the motorbike behind Rafe. I was so excited, I swore that Rafe could feel it, as if it were seeping into him from me. He laughed and said, "Someone's excited today. Are you finally gonna get what you want?" "YES I WILL!" "Geez, calm down." "No, I will not, until I get it." "Have it your way." "Thanks, I will."

Now both of us were laughing as he sped off towards town. We finally arrived at the store, and I scrambled to get off before Rafe could stop the bike. "Don't be too excited and injure yourself, because I'm not gonna answer to your parents when they see you have a broken arm." I waved it off. "Puh-lease. I can take care of myself." Rafe just snorted.

I practically flew to the door and yanked it open. One quick glance told me that it was still there; no one bought it. I rushed over to it, and it leaped up at me. "Don't worry sweetie, I'm taking you home with me tonight," I whispered as it cuddled against my hand. My new kitten purred as I payed for it and received all the free things with it, like food, a litter box, toys, a food bowl, and some catnip treats. [Actually, I bought the food, treats, and food bowl.] **[lol]**

Rafe whistled as I brought out my kitten and her stuff. "You'll need to call Britney for all that, her car's bigger then my bike. I didn't know they would give you all that stuff." "Me neither," I replied brightly. "I bought some of the stuff, though. The salesperson let me have my kitten for less, so I had some money left over for the other stuff. What should I call her?" "Don't ask me. Ask the other girls." "Maybe I will."

I called Britney and asked her if she could do me a big favor. "Sure, what?" "I got a few things along with my kitten, but Rafe doesn't have enough room on his bike. I was wondering if you could, you know, drive us to your place or back home." "I'll drive you to- wait, YOU GOT A KITTEN? Aww! My mom would want to see it. As well as me, so I'll drive you to my place." "Great, thanks! You're the best!" "Yeah, everyone say's I'm the best." "Please, spare me." "Fine, I'm coming over. You at the pet store?" "Yeah, hurry up." "See you later."

Sure enough, Brittany came over. "I thought you said a few things, Lindsey," she joked. "Oh well too bad," I retorted with a smile. "Rafe I'll put your bike in the back. Lindsey your stuff in the back seats. Wanna sit up front?" "Sure." We got in and she drove off. "I knew you were saving money for something, but I'll have to admit, I didn't know you wanted to get a kitten." "It was supposed to be a surprise for everyone." "Except for me," Rafe put in. We all laughed and my kitten woke up with a startled mew. She looked around the car and then at me. She snuggled up against me and was sleeping again.

"Awwww! That's just too cute," Brittany exclaimed. Rafe groaned and covered his ears. "Please, spare me all the gushy stuff," he teased. "Although I'll admit, it _is_ cute," he said grudgingly. "_She,_ not 'it'," I corrected him. Rafe just rolled his eyes. I just sat there, admiring my new friend and kitten, when all of a sudden the wind started rushing all over the place. "Britney! Pull up the roof!" "I am!" Oh, yeah, Britney has a convertible **[i think, i can't remember much, but it's red :D]**, and the roof quickly pulled up, the windows closing around us. I breathed in relief.

Brittany was surprised. "What was _that_?" she asked. Rafe blinked. "There's a reason for everything, and I'm gonna say that wind was random." I snorted. Although I love him so much it hurt, he can be a bit... unpredictable, sometimes even funny. I think it's kind of cute **:D**. So there I was, in the car with my boyfriend/soul mate, a close friend, and my new pet. Finally we arrived at Brittany's place. Her mom was waiting outside with a smile. "Hi, Lindsey and Rafe, nice to see you. Hi, sweetie!" she said brightly. "Hi Ms. Reed. How's it going?" I replied. Rafe just said, " Hello, Ms. R." Ms. Reed ushered us in with a worried look at the sky. I followed her line of sight and saw big storm clouds on the horizon. I whistled. "Maybe that's why that wind came up out of nowhere," I murmured to myself. Then I heard Brittany exclaim, "COOKIES! Chocolate chip and peanut butter COOKIES!" We all laughed when we came to the kitchen and saw her take a bunch of cookies. Ms. Reed laughed harder. What was even more funny was when Brittany blushed so much it made her stuffed cheeks look like apples. We laughed even harder.

At least 10 minutes later, we were in the living room when we heard the door slam. Suddenly a very wet Connor stumbled clumsily into the room. "Hey Connor, what's up?" I asked. He grinned and shook his head, spraying water all over Brittany, who had gone to help him. She giggled as she hung up his coat. "That huge storm is up," he replied to my question. "Man, the news said it's gonna last a couple of days before it slows." Uh-oh. I looked worriedly at Rafe and my small kitten. "Don't we have to go back soon? I can't miss that study session with Kayla," I asked Rafe. He shrugged his shoulders and stared out the window. There were torrential waves of rain pouring down, and it was pitch black. "We should call," he murmured. I took out my Blackberry Torch and speed-dialed Kayla.

"Hello? Lindsey? Is that you?" I heard static crackle as Kayla spoke. "Yeah, it's me. Listen, I know we have a study session at 9:00 pm, but there's no way we're -Brittany, Connor, Rafe, and I- gonna get back through this storm."

"Huh? What storm? You mean the one that just passed 10 minutes ago?" she asked. What is she talking about? I go the window and stare in disbelief. There is no sign of the storm clouds that were there, no sign whatsoever. I blinked. "Well, that was unexpected. I was sure... oh well. At least it's gone," I replied to Kayla, still on the phone. "Great, then are you guys able to come?" she asked hopefully. "Sure, I guess," I said slowly. Then my kitten woke up again, leaped to the floor, and walked around. She was looking at everyone in the room. When she got to Ms. Reed she scooped up my kitten and cuddled her against her cheek. "Aww, you're just too cute! Did you name her yet?" she asked me.

"Hmm... I'm thinking 'Nightwitch' because she looks like she's gonna rule the night," I said brightly. We all chuckled. "Why don't you stay for dinner, then leave? I'm sure Brittany can make her delicious brownies for desert," Ms. Reed asked us, with a wink to Brittany. She blushed and muttered, "I'm gonna need some things..." while heading towards the kitchen. Connor followed her with a hopeful expression on his face. I rolled my eyes.

I had no idea that worse things than the storm had yet to come. I had no idea of the danger we were in. I had no idea that my sweet, innocent Nightwitch was more than a sweet, innocent kitten.

* * *

**Nightwitch**

For once in my nine lives, it seems like somebody will finally take me home. I'm getting sick of this place, _mrroow! _My fur is getting all clumped up; a storm, a big one, is sure to come. My future keeper, a girl, has been here to see me everyday since she first saw me. I admit, not many humans even stop to wonder what is in the seemingly empty cage near the back of the store. That day, I sniffed the air, sensing a Changing One walking by. _Mrroow, _it annoyed me when I couldn't figure out what kind of animal she changed into. It was enough when she entered, peered around, and spotted me sitting up, staring straight at her. At once she asked the working humans if I was "on sale". Pah! As if us animals could be sold; our souls aren't the playthings of humans. Then she came over and took me out of my cage, scratching behind my ears. _Mrrooww! _That felt nice. "Hello, kitty," the girl whispered. "As soon as I have enough money, I'm gonna take you home with me."

I was hopeful that she would. Two years ago a human said that to me, but never returned. I only wished upon my nine lucky stars that she would take me home with her.

Oh, and that bit I said before, its true. I have nine lives, I have nine lucky stars, and I'm a very powerful Spirit Cat, the only one born in 200 years. A prophecy about me and my birth said that a Changing One with ties to a Seer will come and take me to her. Seer and Spirit Cat will join forces and either save or destroy the world, along with the generations of each of our descendants.

I could only hope that I don't lose more than 3 lives before the prophecy could begin. It also says that if I lose more than 3 lives before that world-saving or -destroying choice, the effect could kill me. As in, wipe out the rest of my lives. I _soooo _don't want to do that.

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**SORRY THAT I DIDN'T WRITE FOR SO LONG. ANYWAY, THE "SOMETHING NEW" PART OF THE CHAPTER WAS THE KITTEN, AND THE "SOMETHING OLD" PART WAS THE PROPHECY. N MORE NIGHTWITCH ACCOUNTS FOR NOW. IF YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE STORIES OF HER LIFE [OR LIVES], THEN MESSAGE ME! OR REVIEW. BETTER YET, REVIEW. TOO MANY MESSAGES ARE NOT GOOD. **


	5. Jittery, Frightened, Upset, & Depressed

**Brittany**

What is wrong with me? I'm jittery and frightened and upset and depressed. It seems as though every whisper, every slight movement, is a fresh new disaster heading my way. I've become... a _scaredy-cat. _Eww... That's not like me. But then again, I was changed that night. I went from being a happy, human Shifter with a fabulous boyfriend to being a disturbed, _raped, _scared girl. I hate it when I'm not in control of my feelings. I can't tell _anyone, _but somehow Kayla knows. It's weird, but I think she just found out something new about her family history. I've heard of the ancient Shifters having powers, especially an important Shifter with seer powers, I think...

What am I thinking? I don't want anything to think about. Sleep can't and won't drag me away from reality, even for 5 minutes. I need to relax and focus. I headed down to the gym to work out, maybe even work out some tension and stress. I pick up a 30 pound dumbbell and start pumping my arm up and down. Unfortunately, it reminds me of what happened two nights ago, so I go and put it back on the rack. Then, another idea comes to me. I could go the cave behind the waterfall to calm my nerves. If this doesn't work, then nothing will.

I will myself to the gates of Wolford. As they silently swung open, black as night themselves, I set off through the forest to the waterfall. The cave is a safe haven for everyone, because everyone knows about it. Anyone can come here when they're feeling down, to mull over thoughts, recent events, and the drama in their lives. I slip behind the falls, feeling the mist drift over my face. I stop abruptly; I hear a muffled crying sound from within the cave. I move closer and see someone sitting against the wall, crying into a worn jacket.

"Kayla?" I ask. "Is that you?" Kayla sniffled. "Hi, Brittany. I just- I just found something that my mom used to wear when she was still here," she mumbled. "Oh," I say softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your crying, it's just that I needed somewhere to be by myself, too," I tried to explain. Kayla shook her head. "It's not your fault, we all have our ups and downs sometimes. You can stay here, if you want. Maybe we can talk?" she said, adding the last part hopefully.

"Sure, I guess. What do you want to talk about?"  
"Oh, anything. But there's something I've just found about myself at the library. I... sort of had something like a vision before, and I was worried whether I was going mental. So I went to the library and chose a couple of books to read. It turns out that I'm not mental-"  
"Thank goodness. I don't know what we'd do if you were," I tried to joke. Fortunately, Kayla didn't take offence and laughed.  
"Same here. Anyway, I have something called future-sight, and I read that it's the power to see in many of the possible futures or somewhere else in the present. Then I came here, because I wanted to think. I figured out I can control the elements to some extent, ever since I read that little passage in some language at the bottom of the page. So far, I can create shapes in the water, direct fire and wind, and move around the earth- you know, like rocks and boulders- and make little earthquakes."

I thought. "Wow, Kayla. Everyone's special in their own way, but I didn't know you were that special. So what are gonna do now?" Somehow I knew that her problems were much bigger than mine. Hers were completely life-changing, and mine... mine were depressing and making me mental sometimes. Then Kayla suddenly spoke up.  
"The weird thing is, it has something to do with my ancestors and parents. I mean, something big like this couldn't come up out of nowhere, can it?" She looked at me, as if needing reassurance. I put my arm around her and said, "Don't worry, we'll all help you out on this."  
"But what if everybody else gets jealous, or thinks I'm conceited, or decides not to be with me anymore? Then what will I do?"  
"Hey, don't worry. No one won't do or think any of those things. We'll just have to find a way to explain it to them. Now come on, it's late. It's movie night, remember?"

Kayla brightened and stood up. She hesitated, then took her mother's sweater and tied it around her waist. "Let's go. Everyone else better save some popcorn for us, or they're gonna regret it."

I laughed and we set off towards the village, discussing Kayla's abilities and wondering what else she could do. Being there for Kayla and her problems kept me busy, so hopefully nothing else will happen to me.

Lemons can get very sour if you don't make wise choices; then again, life has you making all sorts of choices.

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**Hey people, do you like this chapter? Yeah i know, it's short, but hey, at least i wrote something. i'm sorry for not writing for a long time, cuz i promised a lot in my profile. i would really like it if you guys can review this one. i'll hopefully try to post another chapter for precious darkness, so please keep waiting. if i take too long, feel free to express your emotions and send a message to my inbox :) thanks**

**oh yeah. to whoever is reading this part of the chapter, send me a message if u want me to delete Precious Darkness and add another Dark Guardians story. depending on the content of the message[s], i'll what i can do. **


	6. Betrayal of the Kitten

**SORRY GUYS I KNOW THAT THIS UPDATE IS PRETTY SHORT, SO I'LL TRY TO TYPE IT ALL UP TODAY AND START ON CHAPTER 7. THANKS FOR TELLING ME THAT MY UPDATES ARE TOO SHORT, I'LL BE TYPING MORE, DON'T YOU WORRY.**

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**Lindsay**

It's been a couple of months since I got Nightwitch. So far she's been acting normal, but ever since I brought her back to the village she started to be with Kayla a bit more. I know it's not her fault, but I get this strange feeling that my kitten likes her better than me. It's making me sad, seeing that the kitten I basically looked after in the pet store decides to hang out with someone else. I'm glad, sort of, that Kayla doesn't know what to make out of it herself. Whenever she comes to my room bringing Nightwitch with her, she keeps apologizing, even though I tell her over and over again it's not her fault. I'm not sure she's listening to me. I hate how terrible this is making Kayla feel, probably making her think that Nightwitch is using me to get to her.

Something's not right, I can feel it. I can feel a connection between my little kitten and my close friend. I don't know what it means, but it's worrying me.

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**Kayla**

I feel so terrible now, hurting Lindsay's feelings, though she doesn't show it. Nightwitch is supposed to be with her more, not me. I still can't help but feel some sort of connection between the kitten and me. It's like... we _belong _to each other, but at the same time I'm not meant to be her companion. **[i've heard that you own the dog, but the cat owns you. my chem teacher told me XD ]** I'm positive that Lucas is my soul partner, but I'm also positive that Nightwitch might be connected someway to my seer abilities. I'll have to tell Brittany about this. Maybe she can help me with unraveling this problem with Nightwitch. After all, she's the one who helped me by talking to me in the cave last night...

I want to go outside, and it's really late. Perfect cover to test my new powers. I only hope that Brittany's awake tonight. Somehow I know she is. I got dressed in our room, then crept to her bed and whispered in her ear, "Brittany, are you still awake?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"  
"Somehow I know these things, don't ask. Do you want to walk outside with me?"  
"I wasn't going to ask. And yeah, sure, where? Are you going to practice with your powers now?"  
"Yep. Hurry and get ready, I don't want anyone to know we're outside."  
"Not even Lucas? You know he'll support you whatever you do, or are."  
"That's what I'm worried about. What if he doesn't? What if he thinks I'm weird, or I'm conceited by keeping it secret, or that I'm... not worthy to be his soul mate anymore?"

The whole time we were talking Brittany was throwing on a shirt, sweats, and flats. She stopped brushing her hair and gave me a big, reassuring hug. "Of course he won't think that, he'll love you all the same, Kayla, don't you worry." I smiled and burrowed into her hug. "Thanks for making feel at least a bit better." I heard a noise from near Lindsay's bed and I let go of Brittany. I looked throughout the whole room and spotted two bright green slits looking back at me from the foot of Lindsay's bed. "Oh, no," I breathed. Nightwitch trotted over and rubbed against my leg. "Nightwitch," I hissed. "Go back to sleep. You can't come with us. _Now!_" She still didn't move from my leg and very softly purred, as if saying "No way I'm missing out on something as good as this."

I threw a panicked look at Brittany. "What do we do?" she whispered. "I don't know," I whispered back. Lindsay stirred. "Kayla, what are you doing? It's three in the morning," she muttered sleepily. "Um, I'm going to the bathroom," I lied. I hated lying, but what would you do if you're up at three in the morning with your friend and your other friend's cat woke up and won't leave you alone, and then your friend wakes up?

I silently begged Nightwitch to stay silent and still. Any movement, any sound, from her would ruin everything. Nightwitch just blinked once, very slowly, as if she understood my plea. "Oh, okay, then. Night," Lindsay mumbled. I breathed in relief when I saw that she went back to sleep. I looked back at Brittany, who had frozen during the whole interchange. She pointed at my feet and raised her eyebrows. I sighed. The kitten was still here, staring up at me with those big green eyes of hers. I picked her up and laid her very carefully on Lindsay's bed. "Now stay right here and go back to sleep. I told you, you can't come with us," I tried explaining. I shook my head at myself. Who would've thought that I would be trying to explain to a cat that she can't come with Brittany and me? But then I got this weird feeling in my head, telling me that it, or whatever it was, understood what I wanted and would respect me. To my great surprise, or not so much, it felt very feline-like.

Shuddering, I left the room with Brittany silently and quickly. As the door closed I sneaked a quick look at Nightwitch. She blinked again and yawned, settling herself down near Lindsay's arms. I smiled to myself. _Good, she's going to sleep cuddling up with Lindsay._ Brittany poked me and we set off down the stairs, through the building, and then down to the ancient, black-as-night gates that have guarded Wolford for centuries. From my peripheral vision I could see that Brittany had tilted her head up and closed her eyes, taking in yet again their beauty and power. Everyone in our village loves these gates, especially Brittany. These gates have stood throughout time, when the village was originally built by our Celtic ancestors. **[i just made this up, but they actually have Celtic ancestors, at least that's what i derived from the books, especially Dark of the** **Moon]****.** They have never been repaired, or broken, or torn down. The elders say that when they were built, the smiths used a powerful spell that would make them last forever, or at least until the last Shifter in the world is dead. That's a pretty powerful spell, if you ask any of us "youngsters". **[again, made up, but i thought that it would add some mystics to the story. review/message if you like!]**

I nudged Brittany and she opened the gates. Another thing I love about them is that they never make a sound, not even once. Completely silent, 24/7, all the time. At least the gates won't do anything to alert us of our little nighttime adventure. I'm worried about Lindsay and whether or not Nightwitch will alert her that we left. She might seem innocent and sweet, but looks can be deceiving. I learned that the hard way, after Mason treated me badly at the end to get to Lucas.

"Hey," Brittany said suddenly. I turned to look at her when we walked through the forest to the cave behind the waterfall. "What is it, Brittany?" I asked, after she didn't elaborate. In the dim light I could see that she smiled. "I feel as if I'm a little kid, going off on a secret adventure in my mom's garden at nighttime, when I used to stay at my mom's place during the weekend," she replied, her eyes misting up. I was sorry that I made her a little sad, but then we reached the cave.

I had no idea that the sweet, innocent kitten I left in our room was pretty clever. I guess Lindsay didn't have any idea that her pet could be diabolical at times.

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**Lindsay**

I woke up at five in the morning to meowing and pricks in my arms. Nightwitch had started a commotion and apparently was trying her best to wake me up quickly. It worked. I bolted upright, afraid that she had hurt herself, but she was fine. Nightwitch, seeing that she had finally gotten my attention, sprang off my bed and leaped to Kayla's bed, then to Brittany's. I was confused.

"Where did they go? And why wouldn't they tell me? All Kayla said was that she was going to the bathroom," I murmured to myself. Kayla was like my best friend. Why didn't she say anything to me? Something's going on. And I'm going to find out what.

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**HEY GUYS. AFTER MY FINALS ARE OVER FOR THIS WEEK, I HAVE ALL OF FRIDAY, THIS WEEKEND, AND MONDAY TO WRITE, WRITE, AND WRITE! YEAH NO HOMEWORK THIS TIME, CONSIDERING ALL THE FINALS TECH IS GIVING EVERYONE. HOLLLLLAAAAA :D**


	7. Something Borrowed, Something Blue

**OKAY WHAT THE FUCK? I SWEAR I HAD A NICE, BIG THING WRITTEN HERE, AND THEN I COME BACK AFTER A LONG TIME AND SEE NOTHING BUT THE FIRST 17 WORDS. WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED? AT LEAST I CAN REWRITE. THE OLD ONE KINDA SOUNDED CRAPPY.**

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**Lindsay**

"I don't understand," I said to my kitten. "Why would they do this to me?" She meowed at me, in a way that made me think that she knew more than I did. It was frustrating, how a mere kitten could seem more than what she looked. I walked around the room, worried and upset and just a bit curious. If they went somewhere without telling me, they either might be keeping a secret from me or something major happened and they didn't have time to let me know. I was betting on the first option, though. If it was the second, they would have left a note somewhere. Nightwitch meowed again, and leaped off my bed. She padded across the floor towards Kayla's closet and clawed the door.

"Stop that, you're going to ruin the paint and wood," I admonished, going over to open the door. Apparently she wanted something that was inside. I turned on the little light. "Alright, what it is? What do you want?" I asked. Nightwitch just sat there, and pointed her tail above her. I looked towards the direction of her tail and gasped. I saw a deep blue cardigan that was obviously brand-new; I haven't seen it there this morning. I took it out, admiring its color and the shiny black buttons **[i like shiny things, okay? i'm a girl]**. A note was attached to the tag. I carefully ripped it off and read,

_Dear Lindsay, I'm sorry it's late, but happy belated birthday. Here's a present Brit and I got you. Enjoy wearing it. -Kayla_

It was beautiful. I buried my face in its softness, thanking silently my absent friends. Scratching Nightwitch behind her ears, I wondered where they got this gorgeous sweater; it was too fancy for the mall in the town nearby. I got up and went back to my bed, Nightwitch scampering behind me. I was about to sit down when she jumped up, causing me to almost squish her. "Silly kitty, that was my spot," I told her. She just blinked and purred. Giving up, I sat in my chair. I was grateful that Kayla and Brittany hadn't forgotten my birthday [the day before], but Rafe gave me a beautifully carved wooden wolf. He even got some silver paint and added it on, making it shimmer in the lamp light.

But I was getting even more curious. Why did my black kitten decide to show me this now? Couldn't she have somehow shown me where the other two went? As if somehow sensing my thoughts, Nightwitch meowed and tipped her head sideways, as if to say "I don't know".

_Damn cat._ She hissed. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry," I said. I was still slightly annoyed that they left, but I expected them to be back by morning. They should; if they got caught by someone, it would cause a hell of a lot of trouble. I went back to my bed and laid down, stretching out and tangling my legs in my blanket. "Good night again, Nightwitch. See you in the morning," I yawned. She purred and curled up on my pillow.

I groaned as my brain suddenly reminded me of that camera memory card I had borrowed from Brittany. I promised myself that I would give it back to her ASAP. I really needed some sleep after at least an hour of anxiety and worry.

I had no idea that it would become something completely important to her. It was just a memory card, but I didn't know it held a lot of information about what was going on these days. Information that someone would pay dearly to have.

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**short chapter for a reason? maybe... ;)**


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